Social media marketing has evolved into a complex undertaking that is part science and part art. Businesses want consumers to be fully immersed in their brand’s digital experiences but without exhausting their interest and attention span. This particular problem is among the biggest challenges marketing teams face as the average adult internet user’s attention span has reduced – around just 8.25 seconds!
As content formats and platforms evolve, so does how people fundamentally consume the content. This is one of the reasons why you see so many short-form videos dominating social media channels these days.
Let’s dive into what short-form videos are and how they can benefit your business with some key examples and social media marketing strategies.
What are short-form videos?
Image above shows how a big brand like Volvo Trucks drives engagement with entertaining and informative video shorts.
Short-form videos, as the name suggests are short, attention-grabbing and concise videos starting from 10 to 15 seconds in duration and going up to 30 seconds or more in some cases. They are designed for easy viewing on smartphones, in particular, social media apps like Instagram (Reels), YouTube (Shorts), Facebook and TikTok.
As per December 2025 statistics, Trinidad and Tobago had,
- 1,217,700 Facebook users
- 782,200 Instagram users
- 835,400 Messenger users
- 656,000 LinkedIn users
Considering that a significant portion of Trinidadian population uses social media endlessly scrolling through these apps, businesses can leverage short-form videos to reach audiences across all key demographics.
Short-form videos can be made in different formats, though portrait orientation for mobile viewing is the norm and their purpose is to engage relevant audiences by offering entertainment and information.
Why does short-form video content work so well?
The reason these short videos work so well is that our brain constantly craves engagement and gratification and short-form videos provide just that. And the way social media is set up, your short-form videos can reach not just your followers but also other general users who might find your content relevant and useful (interest and habit-driven algorithms).
Key benefits of short-form videos:
- High engagement across different platforms
- Easily accessible to consumers
- Flexible and dynamic content
- Short, fast-paced and impactful
Internet users are consuming content in the form of reels and shorts and businesses can benefit tremendously by capitalizing on this user behaviour. Additionally, creating, posting and boosting short-form videos (or any other form of digital content on social sites) is an essential social media marketing step that helps businesses gather valuable analytics on user behaviour and preference, understand the target market better and analyze emerging trends.
This process is essential to help your marketing and advertising agency refine their marketing strategies, improve targeting and design more effective and engaging digital content for the right audiences.
Short-form video campaigns in real life: A lesson in viral moments
Good video campaigns have always had great success. Remember the ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ safety campaign from 13 years ago used to great amusement and benefit by Melbourne’s Metro Trains? It got over 345M views back then when it was a ground-breaking initiative.
Today, such viral video marketing content and ads are the norm for all brands seeking to break through the digital noise and reach their ideal customers. The vastly complicated and ever-burgeoning social media landscape requires marketers to employ diverse, multi-modal campaigns that seamlessly integrate with the current social zeitgeist while standing out in a glorious moment of fame.
Here are some popular examples:
Dove, body confident sport (impactful, emotional narrative)
Dove’s Body Confident Sport ad campaign on YouTube and other platforms did really well, garnering a lot of views and engagement: over 1M views for a 15-second video with a short, impactful message and a clip that pulls at your heartstrings. Here, we see an example of a big, established brand sticking to its reputation and brand image while using current social media strategies to portray stories that matter to the young and bold consumers of today.
Milk Makeup and Sephora Feat. Ankush Bahuguna (influencer and USG format)
This collaboration between Sephora India, Milk Makeup and Ankush Bahuguna (popular makeup content creator @wingitwithankush) is shot and produced in a typical USG (user-generated content) style with selfie camera angles, slice-of-life shopping experiences and the final product application and review. It leveraged the influencer’s pull and quality content marketing in the segment to garner over 411K views.
Learn more about content calendars and influencers – A dynamic duo for social media success.
ALO Wellness Club Feat. Jin of BTS (celebrity value + trend)
This simple, straightforward video has Jin of BTS fame taking viewers through the ‘sounds’ of the ALO Wellness Club, leaning into the ASMR craze that seems ever-popular on social media. The video has over 16.5M views, which just goes to show what the right content featuring the right celebrity can achieve, even with a short video clip.
The takeaway on short-form video marketing?
Brands and businesses across all industries are incorporating digital content like short-form videos in their social media marketing strategies, as they are easily accessible to consumers via their social apps and are quite effective in generating engagement.
Key features of short-form video are:
- Short, snazzy and attention-grabbing
- Feature celebrities and macro-influencers for big, established global brands
- Feature micro-influencers and USG for wider local reach
- Employ emotional storytelling and popular, trending music tracks
- Are often designed to be funny or as obvious clickbait, only to overturn that expectation
- Capitalize on viral trends, memes and real-world news and events
Learn more about Micro vs. Macro influencers – Which partnership delivers better results.
How your business in Trinidad can make the most of short-form video content
As per the statistics mentioned earlier in this post, Trinidad internet users are on the rise, creating opportunities for businesses to capture a wide set of audiences in the digital space. The examples above are just a drop in the ocean. Almost everything users scroll past today includes some form of direct or indirect marketing and social media strategy behind it. If there is quality content out there, there is a brand that is most likely benefiting from it.
So, what should your business do? The truth is that while your business can benefit from broad digital strategies, you need to know your local Trinidadian market to make a mark. A short-form video that cuts through the noise is rooted in an in-depth understanding of the likes, dislikes and social media patterns of your specific target market.
A smart and skilled marketing and advertising company will equip themselves with real-time, consumer insights, trend forecasting and sentiment analysis from channels, platforms and sources that are frequented by your potential and actual customers, effectively transforming this data into content and actionable digital marketing strategies that align with traditional marketing efforts such as billboards, radio ads and TV commercials.
For professional help and top-tier insights for your social media marketing campaigns in Trinidad and Tobago, get in touch with our marketing team at Webfx. We will help you gain that edge your content strategy needs to compete with other businesses and help your brand stand out.
You can contact us for a consultation to learn how our 360-degree, full-service marketing strategies can benefit your business and brand!
